Look Between the Lines
by SilverNight92
Summary: Cato/Clove One-Shot. How they met, cussed each other out, fell in love, and dealed with death.


**I don't own the Hunger Games! Sadly... **

**Look Between the Lines**

**CLOVE POV**

He did _not_ just do what I thought I just saw him do.

"GET YOUR FILTHY MITTS OFF OF MY KNIVES!" I scream at the district heart-throb, Cato. I could honestly care less about him, or any other guy in the District. I just like to focus on the fact that when I reach the highest level of training, I will volunteer. Though right now, at Level 1 at the Academy and only eight years old, I think I have a ways to go. He's three years older than me, at Level 2, and is far too cocky and arrogant for my taste. I also think he's afraid of me.

He looks at me with deep blue eyes, and replies, "Why should I, Ms. Clove?" He is _such_ a bastard. "Because, _Mr. Cato_, I don't want your germs on my knives. I just polished them, and I could easily throw one at your head," I respond in a lethal yet sassy tone. "Aw, come on. You can't kill me! In case you haven't noticed, I _am _three years older." He responds in a humorous tone. Unfortunately for him, he was leaning against the wall. I retaliated by grabbing my favorite knife and chucking it at him, pinning his shirt to the wall. He looks into my emerald eyes, which I'm sure were blood red with fury, and just stares at me. He struggles to pull the knife out of the wall, so I need to walk over there and tug it out for him. I keep the knife and just walk away.

"Oh, so you're just going to _walk away!_ That is _not_ the Clove I see beat up 12 year olds like nobody's business!" He notices me? Wait up, I _cannot_ think like this. He will totally mess me up.

I just turn around and flash up the three middle fingers on my left hand. "Look between the lines," I say in a rude tone. "What're the lines?" He asks.

"Guess." I say, and walk away without looking back.

**Three Years Later**

**Cato POV**

I walk home from the Academy, not caring who the hell I shove out of the way. I, yet again, failed with trying to hit on Clove Hale. She honestly doesn't notice me, let alone stares at me or flirts with me. It's been three years since she threw a knife at me, and ever since then, I've been persistent. Talking to her, flirting with her, sparring with her; It's all the self control I have not to kiss her. She's just so pretty, her dark brown hair, emerald eyes, freckles…. I promised myself long ago that I would never have a crush on her, yet I did, regardless of how hard I try not to. I mean, she's a whole three freaking years younger than me! She's still gorgeous, whether she knows it or not.

Normally, I wouldn't have a problem with getting a girl, but Clove is Clove, and she's never going to change.

I storm into the house and slam the door behind me, making my baby sister, Catie, cry. "Not in the mood, go bug mom," I tell her, and just abandon her in the room. I go to the bathroom and take a hot shower, not caring if it burns. I take this time to brainstorm ideas that'll get Clove to like me. I've got it! I need to abandon swords, spears, and machetes, and learn how to throw knives. That way, she might appreciate how hard I work to be noticed by the one person who tries not to notice me.

The next day, I get to the academy a bit earlier than I normally would. I go over to the knives, and pick up the one Clove told me not to touch. My fingers linger over the handle, wondering if I should do this. I need to. For Clove.

I pick it up, and throw it. It lands far away from the bull's eye. I hear laughter behind me. Shit. It was Clove.

"Come to impress me, Cato?" She says, almost sympathetic. "Actually, my dear Clove, quite the opposite. I merely forgot how to throw a knife, and decided to practice with it."

"Before everybody got here?"

"If I sucked, I wouldn't want anyone to see."

"I saw."

"So I suck?"

"Completely and utterly."

"Teach me?" This stops her completely. She makes eye contact. "Only because we're the only ones here."

"You don't want to be seen with me, sweetheart?"

"Not for a split second. And _never _call me sweetheart again, understood?"

"Understood, sweetheart," I retaliate.

"Look between the lines." She says this the same way she did three years ago, rudely, and with the same three fingers held up. But this time, I actually know what the lines are. She's _so_ nice.

"Where'd you learn that?"

"Learn what?"

"Look between the lines."

"I have an older brother."

"Obviously."

And with that, our training session began.

**The Reaping of the 74th Annual Hunger Games**

(Cato 17; Clove 14)

**Cato POV**

Well, this is it, the Reaping for the 74th Annual Hunger Games. This is the year that my I, Cato Jones, am going to volunteer. It was discussed at the Academy. I was at the highest level, Level 5, and was the most advanced. I was definitely ready. Yeah, yeah, I know, district heart-throb in the Games. But regardless of what anybody thought, I was coming home. I got ready for the Reaping, and I met Clove in the town square.

Ever since that morning three years ago in the Academy, we have been best friends. One dumbass from school thought we were a couple, and let's just say that he didn't remember his own last name after I was done with him...

"Hey Clove, you nervous?" I ask. "Hardly," she says, "If I get reaped, I am so not going to let anyone volunteer for me. If anything, I'm excited." I look at her strange. "You do realize that if you get reaped, someone will volunteer. And if someone volunteers, you can't tell them no." I say. "Like, I care," she replies, "I will kick their asses if they volunteer."

"Whatever you say…"

"Welcome, welcome," our escort who's name I never bothered learning trills, "The time has come to select one courageous you man and woman, for the honor of representing District 2 in the 74th Annual Hunger Games! Ladies first!" She trots over to the female reaping bowl. "Clove Hale!" she cries.

No way. She can't do this, but she can at the same time. I need to protect her.

She walk up to the stage with a smirk on her face. She tells her, "No volunteers." She looks a bit shocked by this, and says, "Now a warm applause for Clove!" the crowd cheers like there's no tomorrow. "Now for the boys!" she takes tiny, quick steps, and sticks her hand in. She pulls out the card and begins to say a name, but can't finish, due to an "I, Cato Jones, volunteer as tribute." I walk up to the stage, scowling. I can tell that the chicks are fuming. Nobody wants _Cato_ to die in these Games. But they're wrong. I am coming home.

"Tributes, shake hands!"

Clove and I look each other in the eye, emerald meeting blue.

This is going to be good.

**At the Career Camp during the 74th Annual Hunger Games**

**Clove POV**

"Cattoooo!" that blonde bimbo from District 1 whines. She is such a dunce. She playfully smacks his arm. I just sit there, imagining what it would be like to slit her throat. It is just glorious…

"Glimmeeerrrr!" He imitates. I am going to puke, and it looks like Marvel is too. "So, Clove, what do you think of _that_?" He motions towards Sparkles and Cato. "I feel like slitting their throats," I reply, "But since we're allies, I can't. If I did, I would be breaking the alliance."

"Good point," he says. "I feel like throwing a spear into Cato."

"I feel like throwing a knife at Glimmer's head."

"Why Glimmer?"

"Why Cato?"

"You like Cato, don't you?"

"Look between the lines," I say, flashing up my three fingers. He is too dumb to know what they are, and yet he doesn't ask. He just drops the subject.

"Do you like Glimmer?"

"No."

"Then make her a shish-kabob with your spear."

"Then I would be breaking the alliance."

"We wouldn't be breaking it, we would be improving it."

"Good point."

I survey the camp because I'm bored. ""Kay everybody, I'm going hunting." Cato responds, "I'm going with you." I glare at him. "No, you aren't. You are staying here with Sparkles, your obvious girlfriend. Wouldn't want anything to happen to her, would ya now?" I say, and storm out of camp, and into the woods. Cato tries to follow, and grabs my arm. "Clove, are you jealous of me and Glimmer?" He asks. "Why the hell should I be?" I counter. "She's sucking your face off at every available moment! Don't you just want to kill her?" I scream.

"Clove! In case you haven't noticed, I'm trying to get her away from me! It's you I want to be with Clove! You and only you!" he shouts. Did he really just say that? "Cato, I… I…" I leave him, and sprint off into the woods, confused as all hell.

Before the Feast

Cato POV

"Please, please _please_ can I go, Cato!" Clove whines. We are the last in the Career alliance, and are all out of food thanks to the Girl on Fire and her stupid arrows. "No, Clove, you are not going to go to the Feast! You don't know what's going to be there, if anything is going to be there, and Fire Girl is, as much as I hate saying this, far too dangerous! I am not going to lose you! There can be two victors, and both of them will be from District Two! I am not losing my best friend! You are staying here, waiting for Lover Boy, and I am going after Fire Girl! Understood?" I yell. She is currently trying to convince me to let her go to the Feast, and have me take care of Lover Boy for the second time. The first time, I cut him severely above the knee, and he could hardly walk a foot. I would have beheaded him, but the fucking Tracker Jacker venom was giving me hallucinations, and I saw three of him.

"Please Cato! If you let me have Fire Head, I _promise _I will give the audience a good show at Katniss's expense. _Please_ Cato, _please._" I have no choice. "Fine," I say, "But you need to make it back alive. Otherwise I will bring you back from the dead and kill you, more painfully than before."

"Thank you Cato! This is going to be amazing, I promise. It will be something you will watch over and over."

**The Feast**

**Clove POV**

"Want to blow one last kiss to Lover Boy?" I ask tauntingly. Fire Girl spits blood all over my face. That little piece of shit. I flush with rage. "All right then. Let's get started." I take the tip, and just as I break skin I am hoisted into the air by some great force. I look up, and it's the face of Thresh. I scream as loud as I can, hoping Cato can hear me. I am a foot off the ground, and am then slammed onto the grass. I am totally winded. Thresh yells in my face.

"What'd you do to the little girl? You kill her?" I scramble back onto all fours. "No! No, it wasn't me!" I say, completely terrified. "You say her name. I heard you. You kill her?" He flushes. "You cut her up? Like you were going to do to this girl here?" He shouts, gesturing to Fire Girl. "No! No, I-" I see a _HUGE _rock in his hand. I scream for my life. "Cato! Cato!" I " screech. "Clove!" I hear in the distance, too far away. He can't save me now.

Thresh does it. He brings the rock hard into my skull. Everything is spinning. Searing pain, agonizing pain, rushes to my head. I know I'm a goner. I breathe heavily, and I hear Fire Girl and Thresh conversing, but am too out of it to decipher any of it. I moan.

"Clove!" I hear, much closer now. Couldn't he come any faster! I'm _dying _here, for crying out loud! "Clove!" Cato kneels by my side. "Clove, please, stay with me, please, _stay with me!" _he sobs. He touches the dent in my skull lightly. I moan in agony. "Cato…." I look into his deep blue/hazel eyes. "Win. You can kill them all. _Win." _I whisper. "_I love you_" I say, hardly audible. He looks me at me deeper. "I thought you hated me…" He says softly. "No," I say. "All you had to do was _look between the lines. _Then you would have seen that I had." I say.

"How long?" he asks.

"Ever since you had the nerve to grab my knife all six years ago." I reply.

"That long, Clove?"

"Always. You were the only one who dared to even come near me, let alone become my best friend, let alone crush."

"I love you," he says, sobbing, a tear falling down his cheek. "I always have. You were the only girl in the District who didn't fawn over me. You were different. Unique. You never ditched the knives for spears and swords. You were perfect."

"Hardly," I reply, tears now forming in my eyes. This isn't the best time, but it's necessary. "I was never meant for these Games. I should have let someone volunteer. I was stupid and cocky. You need to win Cato. For _us._"

"I will. I promise. This time I won't break the promise or the pinky."

"Thank you, Cato. For being there for me when no one else was." The world starts to spin. I can barely make out, "Your welcome, I love you Clove."

The last thing I felt was his warm, chapped lips against mine. In the distance, a cannon boomed, signaling my death.

**In the wheat fields**

**Cato POV**

"YOU KILLED HER!" I shout, hardly audible in the pouring rain. "YOU ARE GOING TO PAY!" I yell at him.

"THIS IS THE HUNGER GAMES! WEREN'T YOU THE ONE SO ANXIOUS TO KILL!" Thresh shouts, booming.

"I LOVED HER! YOU KILLED HER, AND I AM GOING TO KILL YOU!"

"TRY! I CAN AND WILL SMASH YOU TOO BITS, DISTRICT 2!"

"WELL MY WEAPON IS ACTUALLY A REAL ONE!" I scream at him. "BRING IT ON!"

So there I was, in the wheat fields of the 74th Annual Hunger Games, fighting the monster who killed my only love, and I now have vowed to kill.

He sends an uppercut to my jaw, and I then wield my sword, slicing his intestines open. He screams in pain. I bring the tip of the blade to his throat. The rain stops out of no where. "Any last words?" I ask him. "You killed Rue, I killed Clove. We're even. Just make it fast." He pants, trying to regain his breath. "Fine," I say. I slice his head off, blood splattering everywhere.

_BOOM._

The cannon sounds, signaling his death.

I just avenged the death of my only love, and _hell _does it feel good knowing what I did.

**The Finale**

**Cato POV**

Pain. That's all I feel. Ripping, burning.

Pain.

The mutts are killing me. Piece by piece, I'm being ripped apart. Then I see it.

_Clove. _As a mutt. Smaller than the other mutts, she has deep brown fur, and sparkling emerald eyes. Her collar say "2". Could they make it anymore obvious? They made my girlfriend a mutt and sent her to kill me. And in the end, she does.

"Clove! Please! Stop!" I can't help but sob. I love her, and she kills me. It hurts.

Bit by bit, my limbs are detached, and I manage to make eye contact with The Girl on Fire. Katniss Everdeen. I can't believe I'm saying this, but they deserve to win. So I say it.

_"Please..." _I whisper. She aims her last arrow at my skull and shoots me.

Right in the eye... My last thought, the love of my life.

_I love you, Clove._

**Yeah, yeah, I know. Sad what happened to Clove and Thresh. :( Hope you liked it! Review please!**


End file.
